AMTech Hs 123 1/48

[Second Air Force]

Here's a start on another WWII era biplane that I've often wished to build, the Henschel 123. While browsing about, I found a package sale of three AMTech (ESCI, Revell, and Italeri also released this kit) Hs 123s. These also include three full resin cockpits by Black Box. Two comprehensive decal sheets and two sets of unspatted landing gear finished the deal.

AMTech Hs 123 1/48

AMTech Hs 123 1/48

AMTech Hs 123 1/48

The first item on the agenda was to set out one of the resin cockpit sets and clean the pour stubs from them. These are beautiful pieces, expertly mastered and poured. The instructions tell where to trim inside the cockpit and after doing so I can confirm that these fit GREAT!:

AMTech Hs 123 1/48

Then the cockpit components received a coat of RLM02 and while that was drying I glued the wing parts together:

AMTech Hs 123 1/48

[No.1]

Good luck with this build mate

[modellius]

Nice project, keep it rolin'

[Second Air Force]

Okay, rollin' on with this one! Cockpit parts fixed to the fuselage, then start of assembly:

AMTech Hs 123 1/48

AMTech Hs 123 1/48

[No.1]

Amazing!!!!

[Second Air Force]

This is a really quick build, actually. There are a few fit problems (so far, at least) but nothing very dramatic. Getting the lower wing assembly to have the correct angle takes some filing and sanding. It isn't a "modern" kit by any means but I am still enjoying it!

[Second Air Force]

After satisfying myself that I had filled the seams properly on the fuselage and lower wing, I moved on to other details. This model will be of a very early production machine, so I filed off the small fairing just in front of the tailwheel installation. Then I took an old DF "football" from the spares box and fashioned a tailwheel fairing. These were really neat, sleek looking little covers over the tailwheel that were deleted later on. Here's a couple of photos of this small modification, including the first time the airplane was able to sit on its own "legs":

AMTech Hs 123 1/48

AMTech Hs 123 1/48

The next item was to install the fuselage-to-upper wing struts and get the alignment adjusted for this important step:

AMTech Hs 123 1/48

[No.1]

I have find somewhere info that Germans ask even in 1944 to get this type back into production, it proven very good in attack role

[Second Air Force]

These were very efficient at ground troop support, so much so that units flying the Hs-123 (and Hs-129, also) were sometimes awarded the Infantry Assault Badge. I can imagine that infantry units fighting in the East would have wanted them put back into production!

[No.1]

What sample machine do you plan to built, maybe there could be good source image?

[Second Air Force]

This first one is a pre-war airplane in the three-color splinter. I actually have several photos of it. The other two will be wartime birds, though!

[No.1]

All right then, good luck

[Second Air Force]

Finally I have attacked the hardest part of this kit, the cowling. For some unknown reason, ESCI decided to mold the cowl in two parts with the seam running right down the middle, giving a front and rear half. This wouldn't be so bad except that the seam runs right through the 18 cylinder fairings........ The engine was built up and painted, then installed in the cowl and the halves glued together. A first coat of putty and sanding then, and after that, primer:

AMTech Hs 123 1/48

[No.1]

It look like you have assembly engine cowling into very good shape

[Second Air Force]

Not yet, mate.....the first coat of primer shows how many spots I missed on that seam . It'll take more work to get a good finish on this cowl. The people who built the master for this should have placed the seam fore-and-aft so we only had longitudinal seams to fill, but that isn't how they designed it, so this is the only way. The engine has to be "trapped" between the two halves before gluing and that also complicates matters a little.